Crystal River Semi-private Manatee Swim Tour With Max 6 People

Had a great time with Captain Joe. Put us right on a mom and baby manatee. My kids had a great time swimming and hanging out in the springs.

It was a lovely day on Captain Joe's boat. We met at the boat dock....no charge for parking and got right on the boat. They had nice big bathrooms at the Park, I was able to change clothes. We were only 4 people so we weren't fighting big crowds looking at the manatees. We also saw the neighborhood alligator, the kids loved that. I really enjoyed boating around looking at the beautiful homes. Joe supplied the masks and snorkels as well as long full wet suits. After the initial shock of getting in the cold water I was quite comfortable. We spent a great deal of time with a very large Manatee. It was a wonderful swim together.

Such a fun and memorable experience. Captain Joe keeps the groups small, knows the area inside and out, and makes you feel completely comfortable in the water. We had incredible, respectful encounters with the manatees and learned so much along the way. Highly recommend supporting his small business — it’s truly worth it.

What an amazing experience, came out to celebrate my birthday and captain Joe was such an amazing manatee guide. We were able to swim with a beautiful mother daughter manatee set and then we went for a gorgeous ride on crystal river enjoying scenery and looking for more manatees and spotting other wildlife on the way. He was extremely informative and great company. Would definitely recommend and will be back again.

It was an amazing time! The captain was very nice and informative about the manatees! We were able to see a few of them up close and they were very friendly! I would absolutely do it again!!!

You will not find a more knowledgeable & gracious manatee Tourguide than Captain Joe. We went out to Crystal River last week and Captain Joe knew exactly where to take us to find the resident manatees AND dolphins! His boat is very well equipped and very comfortable. We spent over an hour swimming with two big manatees and it was thrilling. We made such wonderful memories.

Amazing day on the river with our guide Joe. He brought us all over the river to ensure we say Manatees (as it was off season). We were able to walk right up to them in waist deep water. Additional highlights were seeing dolphins and alligators. He was extremely knowledgeable and patient answering ALL my kids questions. Highly recommend this tour!!!!

We actually were not able to go because of the weather. However, the captain was very open with us and even rescheduled for the following day to try again. The weather was still cold, windy and wet so we had to cancel and were able to get a full refund. We appreciated the captain’s honesty and desire for us to have a great trip- not a cold, uneventful one!!

We stayed 2 nights it was awesome, pretty clean, nice quiet neighborhood, and the neighborhood cat was a lovely addition!

We had an unforgettable time with Captain Joe. The small group size of max 6 people made it a very personal and intimate experience. Joe is an incredibly experienced guide who went above and beyond to make the trip unique and exceeded all our expectations. He took us straight to a manatee, and the snorkel itself was very relaxed. To top it off, we had a beautiful boat ride through the bay afterwards and even spotted two alligators! This was a great excursion and I highly recommend it to anyone.

Our first visit to the area and my wife had swimming with the Manatees on her bucket list. There are so many options here but we decided to go with a private tour. Captain Joe was so welcoming and full of information. We knew that coming later in the season would be a challenge, but that didn't prevent us from finding a few options. It was absolutely great. Captain Joe even went out of his way to show it some Florida Gators that made our 9 year old's day. Private is the way to go without the crowds. Thank you Joe! We will be back.

Captain Joe was amazing - very friendly and informative and took his time with us to make sure our adventure was a very memorable one - loved swimming and snorkeling with the manatees He made our trip the best it could be and we will book with him again next year

Great time on the water. Captain Joe was prompt, a great guide and personable. Showed us the sight and located manatee despite the fact they’ve mostly migrated out of the bay. I’m a birdwatcher and saw a lot of birds which made the trip even better. We also got to see alligators, turtles and tons of fish. Absolutely beautiful day on a comfy pontoon with a knowledgeable and friendly guide. Would book again.

I had high expectations, I was incredibly excited, and this outing surpassed everything I thought it might be. I went with my wife, our 2 1/2 year-old daughter, and 80+ year-old parents and everyone had an equally great time whether swimming or not. My wife and I saw more manatees than we could count while swimming. The captain and the swim guide were outstanding. Both very knowledgeable, funny, and just great to be around for several hours. Environmental concerns were at the top of their list, which was important to me, but also not a stifling subject. They cared very much about the area and especially the manatees , and that was evident from the start.. The only concern I had with making this reservation was there were only nine reviews which was a little light compared to some of the other outings. If you were having the same concerns you need not. This was a wonderful, wonderful outing and I could not recommend this specific group enough. We were able to spot a dolphin on the way back in and my daughter hasn’t stopped talking about it. It is likely I will be talking about this outing for many years as well.

My husband, grandparents, toddler and I did the manatee excursion and we had such an incredible experience! Our guides were extremely knowledgeable and clearly so passionate about the ecosystem and the wildlife. You could tell this isn’t just a job — it’s something they truly care about. They shared so many interesting facts about the manatees and the surrounding environment, and answered every question with enthusiasm and depth. They were so friendly and engaging, which made the entire trip feel personal and memorable and toddler even got to enjoy a dolphin jump right next to us on the trip hope. We learned so much while still having an amazing time. Highly recommend these guys for a personal, educational and fun experience!

The tour was great. We chose the private boat tour so the entire family could enjoy the day. It was perfect and fun for everyone! Captain Joe did a great job and found us the perfect spot to swim wihh the the Manatees. Wonderful Day!!

We had a tour with Captain Joe, and he was very knowledgeable, friendly and and took time to explain the manatee the waters. It was very patient with the tour. He took us to an area where we snorkel with adult and baby manatee. As we were returning, we saw 2 pods of dolphins, swimming and fishing. Captain Joe went out of his way to bring us closer to the pots and gave us time to observe the dolphins, which was an extra bonus. During the tour, Joe would explain the habitat, the area and was very very knowledgeable of the river. Because Joe’s boat is for a small group it’s a much more personal experience. We would highly recommend Captain Joe and his tour for anyone coming to the area that would like to see the manatees. One thing if you have an underwater camera that would be important to bring with you.

Captain Joe was extremely knowledgeable, friendly and wasn’t in a rush. He took us up the river to a bay where there were a plethora of manatees. We snorkeled for quite sometime and observed multiple adult manatees and several baby manatee. Captain Joe answered the many questions we asked about the area and manatee habitat. As we were returning Captain Joe spotted 2 pods of dolphins and he circled around too let us observe them swimming and feeding. Our experience was amazing and we would highly recommend Captain Joe and his tour company to anyone, young and older as you will enjoy every minute of his tour/snorkeling/swimming. 100% recommend!

Worth every penny! Jo is a local, fun and friendly guide! Great time on and off the boat

Sooo amazing! My four boys rated this the highlight of our trip! Including a Disney Cruise, the Florida Keys and the Everglades!

We got to swim with mom and baby manatee. Chilled around the canal, gorgeous environment. Perfect weather in January. Captain Joe super friendly and will tell you a lot about the manatees! It’s nice to get guided by someone who’s himself passionate about the sea cows!

Exclusive boat tour, just for our family of three, to an area with fresh spring water for snorkeling with manatees. Captain Joe was very nice and accommodating and even called us the day before to check on everything. He brought several wetsuits and masks/snorkels of good quality. Breathtaking experience to see several manatees up close, and no stress at all, Captain Joe waited patiently and entertained us with facts on the wildlife in the area. Strongly recommended!

Seeing the manatees is magical. This was an amazing tour and a highlight of our trip. Joe was awesome, super knowledgeable. Highly recommend 😎

We had a blast with captain joe! He was hilarious and very knowledgeable about the flora and fauna. Crystal River was amazing and we would definitely do this trip again with Captain my captain, Joe!

Me and my 2 kids had such an amazing time!!! The captain put us right on the manatees and we learned alot about the area and manatees!! Very kid and family friendly! Will definitely be using them again!!! Thanks capt joe!